Thanks for sharing your viewpoint on the weight of scooters. The engine size/chassis size/ body material triangle makes it very difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for variance in scooter weight. I think it’s easier to compare the differences among very similiar scooters to highlight the influence of engine size in the overall weight of a scooter. The Vespa GT vs. GTS is a great example since they differ in little besides the engine. (In fact, I chuckle to remember the disucssion I had with some scooterists when I was looking at the GTS who suggested I might want to go with the GT since I’m a girl and might have difficulty shouldering the extra 50 lbs.)

The topic of wheel size is a great one and perhaps worthy of a future article. My experience with varying wheel size is limited; I’ve ridden only on 10 inch and 12 inch wheels. My friend had a Piaggio BV, which had bigger wheels – I believe they were close to 15″ like the Aprilia. It seemed like it would provide a more stable ride – especially on places like draw bridges (my favorite!!!).

Thanks again for your input!

I too used to assume that the mostly metal Vespas were significantly heavier, but the numbers don’t show that. For example. You compare the 242 lbs of the a metal-chassis Vespa LX-150 to the Genuine Buddy 125′s 220 lbs. Considering that the LX-150 is a little bit bigger than the Buddy, the 22 lb weight difference is a wash. Another 150cc example: the all-metal Stella weighs in at just 240 lbs. The plastic-clad Piaggio Fly 150 weighs in at 247 lbs. All four of these scooters are roughly the same size class and roughly the same overall footprint.

So it’s fair to conclude that the mpg differences between the LX and the Buddy comes down to powerplant and gearing, not curb weight.

Keep in mind that even scooters with plastic body panels still have steel tube frames underneath. The beauty of the Vespa’s all-metal body design is that the steel body doubles as the chassis, giving the bike a rigidity-to-weight ratio that a plastic body scooter simply can’t match. That manufacturing, however, is much more costly, which is the only reason tube-and-plastic scooters are so prevalent.

Also, the engine makes quite a big difference in terms of weight. My Vespa Grantourismo 200L is the exact same scooter as your GTS 250, but the motor weighs nearly 50 lbs less! So it’s not the metal body that makes your GTS heavy, it’s that QUASAR motor, which is able to be bored all the way up to 500 cc.

But all in all, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Center of gravity is far more important than overall weight. It’s also worth noting that wheel size often has more to do with how stable a scooter feels than even its center of gravity. The riding feel of the Aprilia SportCity and its 15″ wheels is completely different from the Vespa GTS on 12″ wheels, even though they share the same powerplant and are roughly the same size.